Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 745

Swish.

I opened my eyes.

The sudden burst of light stung, blinding me for a moment.

Maybe it was because I’d been trapped in that dark, suffocating mental space for so long.

“Young Master Gu…!”

A voice rang out.

My body reacted immediately, assessing the situation.

Yung Pung—

I was gripping his wrist.

His trembling eyes were staring directly at me.

“…”

What was happening just before this?

I searched my memories, piecing things together.

My gaze dropped to my other hand—still clutching the Spear.

Right.

I was using it to threaten Yung Pung—or rather, the old man inside him.

My head throbbed.

It was good to be back in reality, but my body felt stiff, likely due to the backlash.

Whoosh—!

I withdrew the Spear and quickly circulated my energy.

I needed to check my condition.

‘Hmm.’

A couple of cycles later, my energy pooled in my heart, giving me a clear picture of my body’s state.

‘As expected.’

Just as I thought—

My body was exactly the same as it had been before I entered that mental space.

None of the injuries I’d sustained there carried over.

It was a relief, but also something I’d anticipated.

“Hoo.”

I let out a steady breath.

I didn’t have the strength to check my surroundings.

My mind was still too chaotic.

“…What are you—”

Yung Pung started speaking, confused by my sudden withdrawal.

Swish—!

Thud—!

“Guh…?”

Before he could finish, I struck his jaw.

His head snapped to the side, and he collapsed onto the ground.

Boom—!!

The plum blossoms lingering in the air exploded all at once.

It must have been because Yung Pung had lost consciousness.

Ssshhh—.

The energy dissipated, fading into nothingness.

I crouched down and propped him up.

‘…I feel kind of bad about this.’

Looking at his limp body, I let out a bitter laugh.

I’d intended to go along with his fight a little longer.

I could’ve ended it with a single strike, but I’d chosen not to—for Yung Pung’s sake.

I knew his goal was to surpass me.

I wasn’t sympathizing with his ambitions—far from it.

But I did feel a certain responsibility.

I wanted to give him something to strive for.

But—

‘Things got too complicated.’

This wasn’t the time for that.

I glanced at Yung Pung’s unconscious body just as—

“Winner—Gu Yangcheon of Shanxi!”

The judge’s voice echoed, announcing the end of the match.

Waaaaaaaah—!!

The crowd erupted into cheers.

Their voices reverberated through the arena.

But I couldn’t enjoy it.

The applause I’d always wanted—

Once again, my circumstances wouldn’t let me relish it.

Not this time, either.

**********

The moment the short yet lengthy conversation with the old man ended, I was left with a choice.

That choice was to absorb him.

Although he was a spirit, the old man was a part of Yeongpung's Dao energy, so I expected that he could be absorbed using the Demonic Heavenly Absorption Art.

It probably wouldn’t be any different from when I absorbed the Divine Sword.

If I did, my Dao energy would increase, which would obviously be advantageous for me.

Moreover, since his presence was strong, if he remained as a spirit, he might prove as helpful as Shin Noya had been.

However, I didn’t go through with it.

It wasn’t just because I didn’t particularly need more Dao energy.

Part of it was also guilt toward Shin Noya, who had originally been with me.

But most of all, it was because I had doubts.

‘If this old man really existed before Yeon Ilcheon regressed...’

The fact that he was here in this world didn’t make sense.

This had to be someone’s intention or necessity.

That would explain why there were two Eternal Binds and two Shin Noyas.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The tapping of my fingers against my knee grew faster.

‘Who could it be?’

Who would create this situation?

A being capable of interfering in a world that might have already disappeared.

It probably wasn’t human….

I thought of countless possibilities, but none of them seemed to fit.

Even more puzzling was the intention behind it all.

‘It’s too much to dismiss as mere coincidence.’

If it were simply a miracle or an accident, it would’ve been easier to accept. But I couldn’t take that for granted—I had to plan for the possibility that it wasn’t.

Squeeze.

I stopped tapping my fingers and examined my left arm.

The arm bound to Eternal Bind.

Then what about this Eternal Bind?

The question suddenly popped into my mind.

Having two Eternal Binds was already strange enough.

‘…Is this one really Noya’s Eternal Bind?’

If the Eternal Bind was an object that had crossed over from another world, then… was this the real one, and the other a fake?

“Ah, shit….”

I cursed out loud, unable to suppress my frustration.

The questions would just keep piling up endlessly.

Anyway—

That’s why I hadn’t absorbed the old man.

The cause and reason were uncertain.

And considering that the Blood Demon might have been involved, bringing the old man along could pose too many problems.

Besides—

‘I should probably talk this over with Noya.’

This was something I’d have to discuss with Shin Noya.

Normally, I would’ve ignored the old man’s opinions and done whatever I wanted, but…

This time, I didn’t think that would work.

‘The problem is figuring out how to go see that old man….’

My head throbbed.

It had already been a year or two since Shin Noya vanished along with Kkeureung.

He’d said he’d be back soon, but he still hadn’t returned.

Damn it. If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have let him leave.

“Haa….”

I sighed deeply.

Had it really been the right decision to let him go?

No matter how I thought about it, it didn’t seem like it.

“…What’s the point of regretting it now?”

It was useless to dwell on it.

What’s done is done.

Now that things were this tangled, the only option was to start unraveling them.

And for that—

‘I need to deal with what’s in front of me first.’

A parallel world, Noya, the Blood Demon….

To tackle those issues, I first needed to handle what was right in front of me.

The moment I came to that conclusion—

“…Are you done thinking?”

A tired voice called out from across the room.

I looked up to see Cheol Ji-seon glaring at me with a frown.

“What’s with the look? You’re looking pretty fierce, Ji-seon.”

“You’re the last person who should be saying that.”

“…What’s that supposed to mean?”

I clenched my fist slightly, and Cheol Ji-seon pretended not to notice as he took another sip of his drink.

Cheol Ji-seon had grown quite a bit.

He even dared to talk back now?

I considered smacking him once but held back, worried I might accidentally kill him.

Seeing me restrain myself, Cheol Ji-seon finally started speaking again.

“…What’s with that expression? You’ve been like that since earlier.”

“There’s something. Just pondering parallel worlds and my screwed-up life.”

“…I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Then maybe you should’ve studied more.”

“…How does this have anything to do with studying? And I did study, okay?”

I chuckled at Cheol Ji-seon’s outburst.

Right.

Even back at the Divine Dragon Hall, Cheol Ji-seon had decent grades.

But—

“I was the top student. You weren’t.”

“…”

I simply did better.

Bringing up past achievements, I left Cheol Ji-seon speechless.

Judging by his expression, he couldn’t argue back.

I waved my hand dismissively.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s just something that’s been bothering me.”

“…When you say something’s bothering you, it’s usually a big deal.”

“…When did I ever….”

I trailed off mid-sentence.

Come to think of it, he had a point.

Like the time I’d said something felt off about the Sichuan branch leader, only to discover he was secretly dealing with the unorthodox sects.

Or when I got a bad feeling about Guangju and found out they’d been mass-producing Thunder Cannons for slaughter.

It seemed I’d had more than my share of incidents over the past few years.

“…Ahem.”

Awkwardly clearing my throat, I clinked my cup against his.

Pushing the topic further wouldn’t do me any favors.

I took a sip of barley tea, while Cheol Ji-seon downed his drink.

I’d learned recently that Cheol Ji-seon enjoyed drinking more than I expected.

“So.”

After a few more drinks, Cheol Ji-seon’s face had turned slightly red as he spoke again.

“What’s your plan now?”

“Hm….”

This was the reason I’d decided to meet Cheol Ji-seon today.

The quiet guesthouse room—

The surroundings, which should’ve been bustling, were eerily silent.

Of course, it was no surprise.

I’d rented out the entire room through Moyong Hee-ah and even set up soundproof barriers.

After drawing so much attention over the past few days, I had to prepare for situations like this.

“The Tang Clan’s young master has been captured and is probably being tortured by now. You heard about that, right?”

“I know. Nahi already told me everything.”

“What the hell are you thinking?”

Cheol Ji-seon, slightly drunk, spoke bluntly.

He’d probably chosen to drink to make it easier to confront me.

“Yangcheon, why are you going this far?”

“What do you mean?”

“You knew he’d be tortured and still let it happen. Why?”

Tang Deok was currently being tortured in the underground chambers of the Martial Alliance.

Was that such a problem for Cheol Ji-seon?

I burst into laughter at his reaction.

“You’re really pissed off, huh?”

“…Do you think this is funny?”

“Well, should I stop laughing and get angry instead?”

Sensing my irritation, Cheol Ji-seon’s eyebrow twitched.

“I already told you—it’s all part of the plan.”

“I just can’t understand this plan of yours. Why go this far….”

“You already know the answer.”

“…”

Cheol Ji-seon’s face twisted the moment I cut him off.

But it wasn’t just because I interrupted him.

I knew—it was my words that bothered him.

“You already know everything, so why keep asking?”

“You…”

“Then tell me—can you think of a better situation than this?”

Pouring another round of tea into the empty cup, I continued speaking without pause.

“Lord Hwangbo will make his move soon.”

The moment we learned that Tang Deok had been captured—

“And then he’ll report it to the Alliance Leader.”

I had already informed Nahi about this in advance.

—“I heard something from the intelligence unit.”

—“There’s news that the Demonic Cult plans to attack the Alliance to rescue a captured criminal.”

Whether it happened tonight or by tomorrow, that news would undoubtedly reach the Martial Alliance.

“So Lord Hwangbo’s role was just for that?”

Cheol Ji-seon’s eyes widened.

I shook my head.

“Of course not. Do you think I’d waste such a valuable card on something like that? It’s just an added bonus.”

Referring to people as tools or objects.

Judging by Cheol Ji-seon’s darkening expression, my tone had struck a nerve.

It didn’t matter—I’d chosen my words deliberately.

“This prediction is more than enough for now. But who knows? Lord Hwangbo might just raise the alarm.”

Would the Demonic Cult really be crazy enough to attack?

This wasn’t just any place—it was Hanam.

A space filled with the full force of the orthodox faction.

On top of that, the Martial Arts Tournament had drawn in some of the greatest masters.

Would the Demonic Cult dare to launch an assault knowing all that?

It seemed absurd.

Of course, I knew the odds were slim.

But Lord Hwangbo spond exactly as I expected, yet…

One could never be too certain.

That’s why I had one more card to play.

“After Lord Hwangbo delivers the news, there’ll be a slight delay—and then another figure will act.”

The head of the Mount Hua Sect would step in.

It hadn’t been part of the original plan, but since the opportunity had presented itself, I intended to use it.

“And what do you think the Alliance Leader will do then?”

Two influential leaders raising the same alarm—

Even if their intelligence units hadn’t picked up on it, the evidence and justification had already been prepared.

“The Alliance Leader will definitely tighten security.”

Extreme vigilance toward the mysterious Demonic Cult.

Their supposed intention to attack the Alliance would spark two key fears.

First, the Demonic Cult might possess enough power to assault Hanam directly.

Second, Tang Deok might be an essential figure to the Demonic Cult.

At this point, Cheol Ji-seon raised another question.

“…But if you say they might launch an attack, won’t the Martial Arts Tournament be at risk of cancellation?”

A fair argument.

He was asking whether I’d considered the consequences.

But—

“No chance. Why would they cancel it? Do you have any idea how much money went into this?”

The tournament wasn’t just a competition.

It was a festival designed to mask the dangers of the current era—

A carefully constructed spectacle to maintain the Martial Alliance’s image as a symbol of peace.

Cancel it because of a threat?

“Not a chance. That sword saint bastard would never let that happen.”

Even if it wasn’t the sword saint, anyone in the orthodox faction would rather cut off their own arm than lose face.

They lived and died by their honor and reputation.

Besides—

“There’s no safer time than during the tournament. They won’t stop it.”

With elite masters gathered from across Zhongyuan,

Hanam might as well have been a fortress.

Even among the Ten Great Masters, several had already assembled here.

There wouldn’t be a safer moment for Hanam than this.

The Alliance Leader knew it too.

‘He’ll do whatever it takes to keep this going.’

For the sake of reputation, security, and even to appease the trading guilds—the tournament had to continue.

So what could the Alliance Leader do under these circumstances?

He knew about the possible attack.

Hanam appeared secure, and he understood why.

That left him with only two options.

‘Either reinforce security around the prisoner…’

Or move the prisoner to the safest location available.

One way or another, he’d take action.

‘And it doesn’t matter which one.’

Whatever he decided, it worked in my favor.

“So…”

Cheol Ji-seon finally responded.

“…So you deliberately had Tang Deok captured and tortured for this plan?”

“That’s right. He was the perfect candidate.”

A body close to being indestructible and high pain tolerance.

His lack of resistance to poison was a downside, but his resilience made up for it.

And since he’d already been corrupted by demonic energy, he’d keep his mouth shut.

Could there have been a better tool?

‘I exposed Tang Deok to the public during the Wudang incident just for this.’

I’d deliberately let him be seen while raiding Wudang.

Everything had been set up for this moment.

A trap and bait.

Tang Deok was the bait, and the planted rumors served as the lure.

The orthodox masters would begin gathering one by one within days.

That was the plan.

And the timeline was almost up.

Cheol Ji-seon’s expression remained uneasy despite my explanation.

I didn’t care.

He was just grappling with his moral compass.

It made no difference.

‘His silence means he understands.’

Even if it wasn’t the most righteous approach—

It was the fastest.

And ultimately, the outcome aligned with his goals as well.

How contradictory.

Or perhaps just human.

Cheol Ji-seon pitied Tang Deok’s suffering but still accepted the necessity of the plan.

Maybe it was fear of me.

Maybe it was his own ambition.

Either way, it was hypocrisy.

But—

‘That doesn’t make me hate him.’

Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter anymore.

What mattered was how far we’d come.

And whether, by the end of this, I would stand where I wanted to be.

That was the only thing that mattered to me.